Manufacture of pile fabrics



Feb. 23, 1937. A. w. DROBILE 'ET A1. 2,6%,932

i MANUFACTURE OF PILE FABRICS Filed July 19, 1934i. shtsmei 1 Feb. 23,1937. A W DROBlLE El- AL MANUFACTURE OF PILE FABRICS 4 sheets-*sheet 2Filed Ju1y'l9, 1934 Feb. 23, 1937. A. w. DROBILE ET AL MANUFACTURE OFPILE FABRICS Filed July 19, 1934 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 ATTORNEY.

Feb. 23, 1937.

A. W. DROBILE AL MANUFACTURE OF PILE FABRICS 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed July19, 1934 ATTORNEY.

Patented Feb. 23, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE MANUFACTURE 0F PILEFABRICS Delaware \Application July 19, 1934, Serial No.l 735,922

uniformly practiced as batch operations, regardt less of the quantity orvolume of the product required, because the difficulties of continuousoperations have been deemed insurmountable in commercial production dueto the great differ-Y ences in the time involved in the variousoperations requisite for the conversion of fabric Woven Wholly orpartially in the gray into finished saleable fabrics.

We have found that by saturating a continuous length of pile fabricbymovement thereof ataconstant rate in momentary contact with a vehiclecontaining a dyestuff having an exhaustion rate of not less than 2%during a contact period of fourteen-hundredths `(14/100) of a minute,the fabric, after subjection to pressure, as by mangling, for forcingthe dyestuff-containing vehicle into the fabric and for removal ofexcess vehicle and dyestuff, will have entrained therein an amount ofdyestuff unexhausted from the vehicle sufficient toH give a desiredtinctorial effect, by the exhaustion of the dyestufi into and fixationthereof in the fabric fibres during the passage of the fabric through afixing or` ageing atmosphere between the dyeing apparatus and the pilefinishing apparatus, and hence the pile surface may be moved in contactwith the pile finishing devices at the same rate at which it was movedin contact with dyestuff-containing vehicle. Thus dyeing and finishingof continuous,

connected lengths of pile fabric may be concurrently carried on as acontinuous operation. y

The vehicle used is preferably-an aqueous liquid containing dyestuff inmuch greater'concentration than is permissible in kettle dyeing butinsufficient in concentration to cause bronzing of the dye on the piletips or subsequent crocking of the dye, and the dye bath is maintainedat a constant concentration, temperature, p-H, and preferably level,with consequent constancy of the exhaustion rate of the dyestuff andentrainment thereof in the fabric, whose saturation is effected by oneor more immersons in tensioned condition 'in the bath-and concurrent orsubsequent passage of the fabric .through nip rolls. To avoid bronzingand crocking'and to supply material to the finishing apparatus at a ratecompatible with the permissible speed of finishing operations, theimmer-sion period should not be u less than three-hundredths (3/100) ofa minute and should not exceed two (2) minutes with the bath at aconstant temperature between 180 and 210 F. Longer periods ofimmersionftend to4 cause uneven dyeing and also cause concurrentimmersion of excessive lengths of fabric which would be spoiled by anyinterruption in subsequent operations.

The dyestuff concentration, its rate of exhaustion, the bath temperatureand the duration of immersion of the fabric therein must be maintainedconstant throughout a run to secure uniformity of shade or. colorv afterthe passage of the first few yards through the bath, andl such conditionof the dye bath is maintained by' a uniform and continuous addition tothe bathof a lrehabilitating mixture compensating for exhaustion,entrainment and evaporation therefrom.

A pile fabric may be run continuously through such a dye bath at a rateof from ten to eighteen yards per minute, and run throughv the pileiinishing. apparatus at substantially the same'rate with a production offabrics of improved color and finish. The shade or color is uniformacross the width and from end to end of the fabric,

and a uniform coloration is also secured from the tips to the bases ofthe pile tufts. Our process greatly decreases the amount of factoryshrinkage as compared with kettle dyeing and batch finishing andsubstantially eliminates creasing, matting, streaking, spotting, afterdyeing and other difficulties incident to batch or invtermittentproduction. I

The continuity of our process ofdyeing andI finishing renders itpossible to match colors in the finished material withoutthediiiiculties incident to over-dyeing in a dye kettle during theperiod required for sampling, drying and conditioning a sample to regainits natural condition for color matching and subsequent unloading.

Our invention is applicable to the manufacture of pile fabrics composedentirely of vegetable fibres, such as` cotton, or to the production offabrics having a pile composed of animal fibre, such as mohair or wool,or partly of animal fibre and partly of vegetable fibre, and if desired,some of the'yarns, as for instance, the backing yarns, maybe dyed beforeweaving, Should the type of .tuft used or tightness of the backing be insufcientv in themselves to prevent displacement of the pile tufts by thenip rolls or mangle, the pile may be more rmly anchored prior to dyeingby the permeation of the backing by aqueous rubber or other solidinablebinder to form a layer within the backing, or by covering the bights ofthe pile loo ps by means of cover warps during Weaving.

5 The dyes used having the characteristics herei inbefore set forth maybedirect dyes, or neutral dyeing wool dyes, or other suitable dyestun'smay be used.

When the fabric contains both vegetable fi bres and animal nbres, whichnbres may be contained in the backingand pile respectively or may beboth contained in the pile, and it is deh'sired to dye y both types ofnbre simultaneously and continuously, the dye bath may contain a dyestunwhich will color uniformly the animal and vegetable fibres in so-calledunion effects. Or complementary dyestuffs may be used in the bath, onevof which has a greater aninity' for animal nbre than for vegetablenbre, and the other of which has a greater anlnity for vegetable nbrethan for animal nbre. Appropriate selection may be made of directdyestuifs having a greater afnnity for animal nbre than for vegetablenbre and of other direct dyestuifs having a greater ainnity forvegetable fibre lthan for animal nbre, and by proper combinations ofsuch i' dyestuifs similar or contrasting effects may be simultaneouslyproduced.

The several dyestuffs contained in the bath should be selected and soproportioned therein and in the rehabilitating liquor added that therates of exhaustion of the different dyestun's are maintainedsubstantially the same as one another and the concentration of eachdyestuif is maintained substantially constant throughout the period ofoperation.

uble, and should have a high tinctorial value.

Examples of neutral dyeing wool dyestuif colors which have beensuccessfully used in the produc- 50 tion oi commercially uniform'plushfabrics in accordance with our invention are Alizarine Astrol B (ColorIndex No. 1075), Acid Anthraquinone Violet 3R. (Color Index No. 1080),Kilton Fast Yellow 263C v(Color Index No. 636).

55A The wetting and `saturation of the fabric in dyingmay befacilitatedA by the use of any of the known penetrants such assulphonated oils, sulphonated alcohols, or naphthalenes or glycoproducts.

60 In the selection of dyestuifs for the union dyeing of fabricscontaining both animalnbre and vegetable nbre in accordance "with ourprocess, it is desirable to avoid such dyestuifs as initially.

. impart a deep stain to one type of nbre for which,

65 howevenlthey' have little or no lasting aninity and require continuedagitation and boiling to -1 leve-lout from the nbre by which it isinitially absorbed and impart a tinctorial effect to the other nbre. Forinstance, colors having an ex- 70 cessive -initial aninity for and deepstaining effectfon cotton, and little or no initial dyeing ef-' fect onwool, should be avoided for the dyeing of union fabrics.

uble thickener as to form substantially a paste Vin which the`dyestuffis so distributed as to secure uniform mechanical deposition on andsubsequent uniform exhaustion into the fabric. Such vehicle may alsocontain salts capable of dissociation by heat or steam to release acidca-A pable of reacting with the dyestuifs to promote exhaustion intoland fixation of the dyestu' on the fabric nbres with which it contacts.

The dye-impregnated fabric passes, while still moist, to an ager havinga wet steam compartment in which such moisture and temperatureconditions are maintained as result in substantially complete exhaustionof the dyestuif from the entrained vehicle, the deposition of suchdyestuff in and upon the fibres and the development and,setting of thedye; The substantially exhausted entrainedvehicle and any `thickenercontained therein is then washed from the fabric in a continuous rinsingor washing operation which removes substantially all trace of freedyestuif. T'he fabric may then be aftertreated, as for instance, withacids or acidic materials, to improve the fastness of the dye, and,after rinsing, hydro-extraction, and wet tigering, if desired, is driedin a suitable continuous dryer. The dried fabric leaving the dryerpasses continuously, and at substantially the same rate at which it'contcated with the dyestuff, through a range of synchronized pilennishing apparatus preferably comprising sequentially arranged tigers,beaters,

shears, brushes, Ihumidifying apparatus, inspection and packagingapparatus.

'I'he desired tinct'orial effect of the dye upon the fabric may beadjusted relatively to the rate oi movement of the fabric in contactwith the dye bath and through the pile finishing apparatus by-f (a)lVarying the concentration of the dye-stun in the dye vehicle;

(b) Varying the: number of passes or duration of .the immersion. of the-fabric in the dyestuff vehicle; j A i (c) Selectionl of dyestuifs ofvarying or different solubilities and r'ates of exhaustion;

(d) Varying the c aracter and concentration of thechemical assis orwetting'agents used;

(e) Varying the pI-I of the dyestufl-containing vehicle; 4

(f) Varying the degree and duration of the pressure to which the fabric.saturated with dye vehicle is subjected by the mangles or nip rolls (a)Varying the temperature of the dye bath;

(h) Varying the ageing time and conditions.

The sequence of steps and the characteristic will'further appear fromthe yfollowing description and the accompanying drawings in which- Figs.lato 1f illustrate diagrammatically the contiguous sections of a rangethrough which lengths of `pile fabricconnected by the stitching togetherof their'ends to form a continuous strip are fed continuously atalconstant rate through range dyeing and nnishing equipment operated insynchronism to effect the movement of the fabric continuously ataconstant rateof from ten to features andv advantages of our improvementseighteen yards per minute and the production of Y and the excess fromthe fabric;

Fig. 3` is a detail illustrating diagrammatically through a modifiedmethod and apparatus for impregnating the fabric with dyestuff Fig. 4kis a furtherdetail illustrating diagrammatically a further method andapparatus for impregnating the fabric with dyestuif; and

Fig. 5 is a further detail illustrating diagram matically a. furthermethod of and apparatus for -impregnating the fabricwith dyestuffdispersedin a thickened vehicle.

As an exampldby way of illustration only of the steps followed in apreferred practice of our invention, we have illustrated in Figs. la to1f of vthe drawings the continuous feeding of a pile fabric A from asource of supply I to a dyeing apparatus 2 in which the fabric passesdownwardly over guide rolls 3 and 4 into a trough 5 containing a bath ofdyestuff dispersed in an ltain the dye bath substantially constant initsl tinctorial values The pipe 1,is connected with a receptacle 9providedwith an overflow pipe 'I0 for maintaining a constant level andpressure in the receptacle 9 which is supplied with the rehabili-vltating dye liquor from a mixing tank II. (The overow through the pipeIII- may be collected in a tank I2 and returned to the mixing tank II bya pump I3 and pipe I4. Preferably, the bath in. the trough 5 ismaintained at a constant temperature in the range from 180 `to 210 andthe pH value of the dye bath iscontrolled to maintain a constantexhaustion rate of the dyestuff of not less than 2% nor more than 15% ina contact period of fourteen-hundredths (14/ 100) of a minute. In dyeingwithout the use of acidic assists,

this may involve a pH range up to ten on the alkaline side and vdown'tosix on the acid side. In acid dyeing, the pH value may vary from about 6down to 4, depending upon the desired rate of exhaustion, temperatureand period of contact or immersion. Asa illustration of controlutilized,

ture of the bath is maintained constant at about 200 F. andgwith a pHvalue of approidmately 9 to maintain "an initial exhaustion rate of2.34%

is forced down to the bases of the pile tufts and into and through thebacking or ground of the fabric by the squeezing action of the rolls I6,I1, I8 and I9. Any excess dye liquor expressed by `-the pressure of therollers is vreturned to the dye trough 5. The repeated saturation of thefabric with the dyestuff -containing vehicle and the pressure appliedthereto by the rollers I6, I1, I8 and I9 causes the entraineddyestuif-containing vehicle to thoroughly penetrate into-the intersticesof the fabric and the pores of the fibres.y 'Ihe period of immersion ofthe fabric and the affinity of the dyestuff for its vehicle are suchthat the `dyestuiif is not completely exhausted into the fabric onleaving the nip rollers. The fabric while still damp with'its entraineddye liquor is passed to an ager comprising a chamber containing wetsteam through which the fabric is passed back` and forth until thesubstantially complete exhaustion of the dyestuff from the entrained dyeliquor and the setting of the dyestuff in and upon the fibres of thefabric is finished.

The temperature and saturation of thc steam are passing from the washer'2l is removed by suction applied to the fabric ,as it passies over themouth of the hydro-extractor 22.

Should it bede'sired to perform any other iini ismng operations on thefabric while it is sun wet, these.. may be performed after the fabrichas left the first hydro-extractor 22. For instance, fabric may beImoth-proofed or aftertreated in the tank 23, have excess moistureremoved by the hydro-extractor 2 2' and napped' or the pile opened upwhile damp by passage vthrough the wet tigering machine 24. s

When these operations, if performed, are completed, the fabric may bepassed through adewing machine 25 and then dried to substantially itsoriginal area in the tenter drier 25 ln which the fabric is stretched tosubstantially its original width by tenter chains 26 having thereonhooks 26' and by which the'fabric is carried back and forth through thedryer while under tension in fourteen-hundredths (11i/100) of aminute,\` warpwise and weftwise,

and for such time of immersion the rate of move- -j`ournalled roller I8and is then again squeezed betweenthe, rubber covered nip rollerslIIandI8 and between therollers I8 and I9.

, In passing through the bath and the rollers, thef` fabric ismaintained'in tension longitudinally or warp-wise and transversely orweft-wise.

In passing through the dye bath, the fabric Ay is thoroughly saturatedwith the dye liquor which The dried fabric delivered from the dryer isfed past the beater 21, through the brushing machine 28, dry tigerlngmachine 29, and beater 30 toA prepare the pilegfor shearing by the shear/3I., after-,which the sheared plush is beaten and 'brushed in thebrushing machine 32 and may be pressed by a steam press 33.

The fabric is now ready for he restoration of its normal moisturecontent, which may be supplied thereto by a. humidifier or conditioningmachine 34 before the passage of the fabric to an inspection table 35from which it passes to a rollf up and packaging machine 36.

While the fabric moves continuously and at a ...substantially constantrate from y'one unit to the next, it is preferable that thereshould be acertain amount of slack between the different units and to provide suchslack `the fabric may be pleated -by` folders 31.upon travelingconveyors 38 or delivered iritov J-boxes 39 conveniently positionedbetween some of or all of the machines.

As illustrated in-Flg. 3, the pipe 'l may deliver the dye liquor into apool enclosed by the contacting rollers 5a, 5b, 5c and 5d.' With thisvtherefrom by the passage of the fabric betweenl the rollers 5a.' and5c,.around the roller 5c, and between the rollers 5c and 5d. Thefabric/is then again saturated by passage through the pool and the dyeliquor squeezed thereinto and any excess expelled therefrom by passageof the fabric between the rollers 5b and 5d.

'As illustrated 'in Fig. 4, the tube fl may discharge the dye liquorthrough a perforated section la onto the face of the fabric immediatelyin advance of the passage of the fabricbetween the rubber'coveredsqueeze rolls I6' and I1 by which the dye liquor is forced into thefabric and any excess squeezed therefrom.

As illustrated in Fig. 5, the dyestuif-,containing vehicle may have theviscosity of, or be so thickened as to form, paste which is deliveredthrough suitable pipes 'l' to the pool formed between the contactingrolls 39 and 4B and between thecontacting rolls 4| and 42. through thefirst pool of paste, then between the rolls 39 and 40, then through thesecond pool of paste, and then between the rolls 4l and 42. Thedyestuff-containing paste vehicle is thereby uniforrnly `distributedover and forced into` the fabric, which absorbs the dyestuff' from thepaste vehicle during the passage 'of the fabric thrcugh the ager. g

By each of these methods ofi applying the dyestuff to the fabric andexhausting dyestuff .into the fabric after it has left the pool of.dyestuffcontaining vehicle, the fabric may be dyed at a rate compatiblewith and permitting its finishing in a continuous operation during whichthe fabric is held in a tensioned .condition during the performancethereon of operations tending to cause` shrinkage.

When the manufacture of pile fabric requires the dyeing of both animaland vegetable fibres, or of cotton fibres alone, it is preferable th'atdirect dyes or neutral wool dyes, or combinations thereof, be used inthe practice of our process, but Where the cotton fibres are dyed priorto Weaving and only Wool or mohair fibres require dyeing,

, acid dyeing Wool dyes may be used in the practice of our process bymaintaining constant the acidity, temperature and volume or level of thebath as Well as the concentration and rate'of exhaustion of thedyestuif.

In choosing between various dyestuifs for the practice of our process toproduce a fabric of desired shade or color, there should be selectedreadily soluble dyestuffs having a high' tinctorial -value atminimumconcentration and which will disperse as true solutions orcolloidal solutions -in an aqueous vehicle instead o-f being merely (b)The direct color Pontamine Fast Yellow The fabric A passes NN'L (ColorIndex No. 814) 'has been successfullyused with the direct color DiamineFast Brown R (no Color Index number).

(c) Neutral dyeing wool color, such as Alazarine Astrol B (blue) (ColorIndex No. 1075) has been successfully used with Kiton Fast Yellow 2 GC(Color Index No. 636), also a neutral dyeing Wool color.

By rate or exhaustion or exhaustion rate, as used in the foregoingdescription.; and the appended claims, We refer to the ratio between-(a) The weight of dyestuff which' may be fixed in a given time ofimmersion on a given weight of textile from a dye bath of givenconcentration, temperature and pH, and

(b) The weight of fdyestuff fixed on a similar tnlantity, quality andcondition of textile when immersed in a dye bath undersimilar/conditions temperature and at the pH employed and concentrationrequired to produce the same shade in the commonly used methods ofdyeing with such dyestuif (for example in kettle dyeing with wool colorsa pH equivalent to a concentration of .2 of 1% by-weight of commercialsulphuric acid and in kettle dyeing with direct or substantive coloras'pI-I equivalent to substantial neutrality) until practical exhaustionof the dyestuff has been reached. l

Having described our invention, we claim:

` 1. In the manufacture of pile fabric, the steps whichinclude movingthe pile fabric at a constant rate through a bath of dyestuil'`containing vehicle, entraining in the fabric a portionv of such vehiclecontaining unexhausted dyestuif, ex-

h'au'sting the dyestuff from the vehicle and fixing l the dyestuff onthe fibers -of the fabric in transit to.pile finishing apparatus, andmoving the fabric las a continuous web between and in contact with pilefinishing devices in range.

2. In the manufacture of pile fabric, thesteps which include moving thepile fabric at a constant rate While contacting a dyestu-containingvedyestuff-contalning vehicle, squeezing saidv dyestuff-containingvehicle into said fabric and ex- .pressing the excessdyestuff-containing vehicle therefrom, the vehicle retained in saidfabric containing unexhausted dyestuff, exhausting dyestuff from thevehicle into the fabric after said squeezing, washing the residualvehicle and uniixed dyestuff from the fabric, and nishing the pile ofthev fabric during movement thereof at substantially the rate at whichit moved in contact with the dyestuff-,containing vehicle supply.-

4. In the manufacture of," pile fabric, the steps which includesaturating a fabric with -a dyeof the fabric at a substantially constantrate,

, forcing into the fabric a portion of the dyestuffcontaining) vehicle,and expressing the remainder of such `vehicle from the fabric,'exhausting the dyestuif from the retained vehicle into the fabric whilemaintaining the fabric moist, removing the exhausted vehicle from thefabric, and shearrate while momentarily contacting a supply ofstuff-containing vehicle during the movement to. f

"steps which consist in maintaining in the verate of the dyestuif ingthe pile of the fabric during movement thereof at substantially the rateof movementl thereof during saturation.

5. In the manufacture of pile fabric, the steps which include saturatingthe pile fabric with a dyestuff-containing vehicle during movementof thefabric at a substantially constantrate, forcing a portion of suchsaturating vehicle into`the pores of the fabric fibres and expressing aportion of such vehicle from the fabric by pressure, exhausting dyestuiffrom the retained vehicle into the fabric and fixing it thereon whilemaintaining said fabric damp, removing the exhausted vehicle from thefabric, drying the fabric, and tigering and shearing the pile whilemoving the fabric ata rate substantially the -same as its rate ofmovement during saturation.

6. In the manufacture of pile fabric, the steps which consist inmaintaining substantially con- `stant the exhaustion rate in a dye bathcontainfabric such vehicle containing unexhausted dye-l stuff, forcinginto the fabric a portion of such entrained vehicle, and expressing theremainder of such vehicle from the fabric, exhausting dyestuff from theretained vehicle into the fabric in an atmosphere of vwet steam,removing the exhausted vehicle and any free dyestuif from the fabric,drying to reduce the moisture content below normal the fabric finishingthe pile .of the fabric during the movement thereof at a ratesubstantially the same asits rate of movement during saturation,reconditioning the fabric uniformly by humidiflcation and rolling up thefabric.

7. In the process set forth in claim 1, the step which consists inmaintaining the exhaustion constant.

I8. In the process set forth in claim 1, the steps ltaining vehicle, andalso maintaining substantially constant the concentration of dyestuifinl such vehicle and the rate of exhaustion of the dyestuif from thevehicle supply, and in maintaining substantially Lconstant thetemperature and pH of said supply of dyestuif-containing vehicle.

`1o. In the process set forth in amm 1, the

hiclel bath a dyestuff having a primary afnity for animal libre and adyestuff havinga primary affinity for vegetable fibre, arid maintainingthe rates of exhaustion of said dyestuffs from the vehicle substantiallyuniform.

11. In `the manufacture of pile fabrics con- I taining animal andvegetable bers according to claim 1, the steps which include maintainingfrom the bath'substantially substantially constant rate through a dyebath having a substantially constant pH approximating neutrality,.maintaining such' bath at-a suhstantially constant temperature andmaintaining in such bath dyestuifs having exhaustion rates for animalfibre and for vegetable fibre of not les than 2% in fourteen-hundredthsof a minute.

13. In the manufacture of pile fabric, the steps which includesaturating the pile and backing yarns of the fabric by passage of thefabric at a substantially constant rate through a dye liquor of constanttemperature and constant dyestuif concentration for a. period ofimmersion of not less than three-hundredths 'of a minute or in excess oftwo minutes, said dye liquor containing dyestuff having an exhaustionrate of not lessl than 2% in fourteen-hundredths of a minute, removingfrom the fabric substantially all of the excess liquor, and exhaustingfrom the fabric retained liquor after the removal of the excess liquorsuflicient dyestuff to give the fibres a desiwired shade upon fixationof the dyestuif there- 14. In the manufacture of pile fabric, the stepswhich include saturating a pile fabric by movement thereof at asubstantially constant rate in. contact with the dye liquor containingadyestuif having a rate of exhaustion of at least 2% infourteen-hundredths of a minute of contact and requiring more than twominutes for substantially completeexhaustin of the actual dyeingconstituent thereof, retaining in the fabric after emersionfrom the bathdye liquor containing unexhausted dyestuff, and substantially exhaustingthe dyestuff from retained dye liquor during passage of the fabric fromthe dye bath to a pile finishing device.

15. In the manufacture of pile fabric which has been woven wholly orpartly in the grey, the continuous steps which include moving the pilefabric at a constant rate while contacting a dyestuff containing vehiclefor a time insuflicient to completely iix the dye entrained by saidcontact, passing the fabric into a steaming atmosphere to morecompletely x the dye, washing the residual vehicle and unxed dyestuiffrom the fabric, vdrying the fabric and rolling up the fabric.

16. In the. manufacture of pile fabric which has been woven wholly orpartly in the grey, the contlnuous steps which include moving the pilefabric at a constant rate while contacting a dyestuff containing vehiclefor a time insufficient to completely fix the dye entrained by saidcontact,forc ing the dyestuff containing vehicle uniformly into fthefabric and removing excess vehicle and dyestui, passing the fabric intoa steaming atmosphere to more completely x the dye, washing the fabricto remove unxed dye. thickener, and

the continuous steps which include moving the pile fabric at a constantrate while contacting a to completely nx the dye entrained by saidcontact, forcing the dyestuif vehicle uniformly into the fabric andAremoving excess'vehicle and dyestuff, passing the fabric into asteaming atmosphere to more completely x the dye, washing the dyestuffcontaining vehicle for a. time insuflicient fabric to remove vunflxeddye, thickener or dye vehicle which may be in the fabric, extracting thewaterfrom the pile fabric-which has been incorporated therein' as aresult of the washing, drying from the pile fabric which has beenincorporated normal and rolling up the fabric.

stuff containing vehicle for a time insufficient to completely fix thedye entrained by said contact, forcing the dyestuff vehicle uniformlyinto the fabric and removing excess vehicle and dyestuff, passing thefabric into a steaming atmosphere to more completely fix the dye,washingv the fabric to remove unxed dye, thickener or dye vehiclewhichmay be in the fabric, extracting the water from the pile fabricwhicli'has been incorporated therein as a result of the washing,subjecting this still damp fabric to a wet tigering operation to nap thepile and then drying the fabric toreduce the moisture content belownormal and rolling up the fabric.

19. In the manufacture of pile fabric which has been woven wholly orpartly in the grey, the continuous steps which include moving thepilelfabric at a. constant rate while contacting a 4vdyestuif containingvehicle for a time insufficient to completely fix the dye entrained bysaid contact, forcing the dyestuff vehicle uniformly into the fabric andremoving excess vvehicle and flyestuif,y

passing the fabric into a steaming atmosphere to more completely iix thedye, washing the fabric to remove unxed dye, thickener or dye vehiclewhich may be in the fabric, extracting the water therein as a result ofthe washing, after treating the fabric, extracting the surplus liquidincorporated in the fabric in the aftertreatment, subjecting the stilldamp fabric to a wet tigering operaforcing the dyestuff vehicleuniformly into the` tion -to nap the pile, drying the fabric to reducethe moisture content below normal and rolling up the fabric'.

20. In the manufacture of a pile fabric which* has been woven wholly orpartly in the grey, the

'continuous steps which include moving the pile fabric at a constantrate while contacting a dyestuff containing vehicle for a timeinsuiiicient to completely iix the dye entrained by said contact,

fabric and removing excess vehicle and dyestuif, passing -the fabricinto a steaming atmosphere to more completely x the dye, washing thefabric to remove unfixed dye, thickener or dye vehicle 21. In themanufacture of af pile yfabric `which has been woven wholly or partly inthe grey, the

continuous steps which include moving` the pile fabric at a constantrate while contactingifa dyestuif containing vehicle for a timefinsuiiillient to completely fix the dye entrained by said-contact,forcing the dyestuif vehicle uniformly into the fabric and removingexcess 'vehicle and dyestuff, passing the fabric into 'a steamingannosphere to more completely fix the dye, washing the fabric to removeuniixed dye, thickenernor dye vehicle which may be inthe fabric,extracting the water from the pile fabric which has Lbeen incorporatedtherein as a resultofpassing'- through .the

washer, mothprooiin'g `the -ffabric 1n a liquid bath,

extracting the surplusiiquid incorporated in the fabric by themothproofer, subjecting the still damp fabric to a wet tigeringoperation to nap the pile, uniformly rewetting the fabric, drying thefabric to reduce the moisture content below normal and rolling up thefabric.

t 22. In the manufacture of pile fabric which has been `Woven wholly or'partly in the grey, the continuous steps which include moving the pilefabric at a constant rate while contacting a dyestuff vehicle for a timeinsuflicient to completely nx the dyeentrained by saidcontact, passingthe fabric into asteaming atmosphere to more completely fix the dywashing the fabric to remove uniixed dye, Kthickener or dye vehicle,drying the fabric to reduce the moisture content below normal, applyingfinishing operations to the pile and reconditioning the fabric byhumidiiicati'on and rolling up the fabric. y

23. In the manufacture of pile fabric which' has been woven wholly orpartly in the grey, the. continuous steps which include moving the pilefabric at a constant rate while contacting a dyestuff vehicle for a timeinsufficient to completely fix the dye entrained by said contact,forcing the dyestuff containing vehicle uniformlyfinto the fabricvandremoving excess vehicle and dyestu', passing the fabric into a steamingatmosphere to more completely iix the dye, washing the fabric,

gto' remove unfixed dye, thickener or dye vehicle which may be in thefabric, drying the fabric to reduce the moisture content below normal,applying finishing operations to the pile, reconditioning the fabric byhumidification and rolling up the fabric. .v

24. In the manufacture of v'pile fabric which has been woven wholly orpartly in the grey, the con"- tinuous steps which include moving thepile fabric at a constant rate while contacting a dyestuff vehicle for atime insuflicient to completely x the @iiye entrained by said contact,passing the fabric into a steaming atmosphere to more completely iix thedye, washing the fabric to remove uniixed dye, thickener or dye vehicle,drying the fabric to reduce the moisture content below normal andreconditioning the fabric by humidiiication and rolling up the fabric.

25. In the manufacture of pile fabric which has been woven wholly orpartly in the grey, the continuous steps which include moving` the pilefabric at a constant rate while contacting a dyestuft` vehicle for avtime insuiilcient to completely x the dye entrained by said contact,forcing the dyestuif containing vehicleuniformly into thefabric .andremoving excess vehicle and dyestuif, passing the fabric into a steamingatmosphere to more completely nx the dy washing the fabric to removeuniixed dye, thickener or 'dye vehicle which may be in the fabric,drying the fabric to reduce the moisture content below normal,reconditioning the fabric by humidication rolling up the fabric.

26. In the manufacture of pile fabric, the steps vwhich include moving apile fabric at a substantially constant rate while momentarilycontacting a supply of dye-stuff-containing vehicle, en-

, training a portion of .'said vehicle in said fabric,

squeezing said entrained dye-stuff-containing vehicle into said fabricafter it has ceased to contact said supply, expressing the excessdye-stuif- 'containing vehicle therefrom, the vehicle retained in said.fabric :containing unexhausted dyestuff, exhausting dyestufl? from thevehicle into the fabric by passing said fabric whileiitsi-,pile is stillwet with the `'vehicle and flattened .from the and squeezingcontinuously through a heated humid atmosphere at a rate substantiallythe same as its rate of movement through said supply,

straightening any mussed pile before the drying thereof, setting thestraightened pile by drying the fabric under tension to a point belowthe normal moisture contet of the fibres thereof.

-and restoring normal moisture content tov the fabric.

27. In the manufacture of pile fabric, the steps which include moving apile fabric at a substantially constant rate through a bath ofdye-stuifcontaining vehicle and entraining a portion of the vehicletherein, maintaining substantially constant the tinctorial value of saidbath and the duration of immersion of sequential sections of fabrictherein, squeezing 'the dye-stuif-contain- Aing vehicle into thesequential sections of fabric pile before the setting thereof inflattened l condition, and setting the erected pile by drying thefabricwhile tensioned.

28.v In the manufacture of `pile fabric, the steps .which include movingaweb `of such fabric into and out of a bath of vehicle containingdyestuff p having an exhaustion rate of not less than 2% during acontact period of 14/100 of a minute and which vehicle, is entrained inthe emergent fabric without complete exhaustion therefrom of containeddyestuff, forcing the vehicle and dyestuff into the fabric by pressuretending to lay the pile in the same direction, exhausting dyestuff fromthe entrained vehicle into the fabric by passage thereof through hotvapor While the fabric is still moist from the vehicle, washing anyunexhausted dyestuff from the fabric, and drying the fabric.

29. In the manufactureof fabric as set forth in claim 28, the furtherstep of straightening any mussed pile betweenithe nal exhaustion of thedyestuff and the drying of the fabric.

30.` In the manufacture of fabric as set forth in claim 28, the stepwhich includes drying the fabric below the normal moisture content ofthe fibres f the fabric, and. humiduying the dried,

fabric to normal moisture content of the fibres. 31. In the manufactureof fabric as set forthv in claim 28, the step which includes drying theY fabric under tension and while stretched-"teapproximately its originalwidth.,

32. In the manufacture of pile fabric, the steps which include moving aweb containing tufts of resilient pile fibres into and out of a dyebathmaintained at a substantially constant tinctorial value and having atemperature tending to plasticize the pile fibres, and at a rateentraining in the fabric unexhausted dyestuff, squeezing the dyestuifvinto the fabric by vpressure tending to similarly lay the plasticizedpile fibres, exhausting dyestuff into the fabric by contact with heatedvapor, straightening and erecting the plasticized pile fibres,dehydrating the fabric sufrlciently to restore resilience to thev pilebres, and shearing the erected pile bres.

33. In the manufacture of pile fabric, the steps which include passing apile fabric as a substantially, taut lo`op through a dye-bath maintainedat a. substantially constant tinctorial value, squeezing into theemergent fabric dyestuff entrained therein, exhausting dyestu into thefabric in transit after squeezing, washing unexhausted dyestuff from thefabric before the drying thereof, erecting the wet pile, the fabricbeing kept substantially free from pressure conj tacting laminationspermitting migration of dyestuff from one section to another during theforegoing steps, drying the erected pile to a humidifying the driedpile..

34. In the manufacture of pile fabric, the steps which include movingapile fabric at a constant rate through a bath of dyestuif containingvehicle and moving such fabric at substantially the same rate in contactwith pile finishing devices, the dyeing and the nishing of the fabricbeirig carried on as a continuous sequence of operation whilemaintainingin the vehicle bath a dyestuif having constantly anexhaustion rate from not less than 2% and not in excess of 15% infourteen hundredths of a minute contact with the pile fabric. Y y

35. In the manufacture of pile fabric, the steps which include moving apile'fabric at a substantially constant rate through a bath of dyestuffcontainingA vehicle and entraining a portion of the vehicle therein,forcing the entrained dyestuff ,vehicle intor` said fabric, removing theexcess4 dyestuff vehicle therefrom, the vehicle retained in said fabriccontaining unexhausted dyestuff, exhausting the dyestuif from thevehicle intothe fabric in transit to pile nishing apparatus and movingthev fabric in contact with pile finishing devices in` range.

- WILLIAM ROLIIN KEEN. f

GLEN SEFI'ON BIERS. v ALBERT WILLIAM.DRQB1LE.

.point below lits normal moisture content, and A i

